Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-04-16
CHANCE MEETING.

st,rd y.looking man, with every out
ward appearance OF health and pros
perity: but as he sat there in the cor
nor q. the railway carriage, with his
h.nds thrust deeply into the capa-
cious pockets OF his fur.lined coat, and
with his travelling cap pulled low over
his ewes, / doubt ii there were so
rrstcbed a man in the whole OF that
London express.
There was terrible storm on, for
!. Was the Christmas Eve OF rs,
and destined TO be a mem-
orsbIs night in the annals OF the
weather almanacs; but as he
patthere watching the snow being hurt
ed in compact masses against the win
dows, John ChaNoner felt certain
grim satisfaction thaS nature should
be in accordance with his own tenn
pestuous thoughts. He was not very
sure of their present whereabouts, but
as far as he could judge, the train
was already some hours late, and was
progressing at very slowrate indeed.
Well, what did it matter after all,
whether or not he were home in time
for iae Christmas Day? The big
dreary house. that a girls young pres
ence had seemed to food with sun
shine, would appear even bigger and
dreariar. now that that girl had left it
forever. There would be Sarah, OF
course. the silent elder sister, who had
watched over Johns motherless boy
hood, and who loved him with so zeal.
Gus devotion; but then-Sarah was
not Madge, and it was Madge he want
ed. Not that he would have admitted
as much for a moment. that would
have been too ridiculous. when it was
only last night. after n somewhat pro-
longed visit 10 the Scottish metropo-
Us, that he had been talking to a law
yer in Edinburgh, and giving him in.
structions about the drawing up of
the paper which was to separate the
husband and wife. John was TO
go his way. and Madge was to 90
hers. And this was the end OF those
four years OF married life which
had opened so brightly and well; this
was the end OF that first tiny quarrel,
when Challoner had forgotten the
promise TO take his girl-wife to an
especial dance, and had spent the even.
ing among the books which had been
the sole companions of his hitherto
solitary life. Whose actual fault was
1t that things had come to this pasSg
In what had the trouble consisted.
that there had been such iarrlng in
the, home that they had ultimately
deelied to live their lives apart?
The train went slower and slower;
the freshly fallen snow lay in high
banks on either side; but John Chal-
loner's thoughts never wandered from
the old sore subject. One by one he
recalled the various landmarks OF
those four years. How bitterly
sarah had resented the advent of the
young bride; how impossible he had
found It to live n society life with
Madee and yet get through the neces-
sary literary work which meant his
livelihood; how eagerly his young cous-
IN, Charlie Thorne, had volunteered |
10 take her to dances and so on in his !
stead. Then be recalled their little |
oaiighters birth, and the glad hopes /
that had sprung into life as he took |
ms tiny Christmas rose in his stall |
wart arms and tried to trace the |
mother-look in the baby features.
but the baby had only lived to see
ner second birthday, and with her
deatn the rift within the lutte" had |
slowly widened, and the faint music
which had echoed in their daily lives
was turned into jangling discord.
Madee was fonder OF young Thorne
than oil John himself" Sarah had av-
erred; and the poor fellow had been
.orced 10 aequiesce, when barely had
y s'le oeaa child been laid to rest before
nsr III. mother had taken up the old
mniri ", OF dissipation. with Charlie
Anorne 10 Ia constant attendance.
mere was nothing. | think, which
1ohn Challoner felt so bitterly as this
saIne apparent hard-hearredness. IL
= not often that men care for verv
Eoung children, but this curlv-headed
te.le danghter had been simply wor-
shipped by her father. The fact that
'n's man was a poet both bv nature
inu profession may perhaps have
heiped him in his love and omnrehap-
sson y OF what Theodore Watts so bean
LHuhy calls 1.-The music OF human
speech--the beloved babble nj
'hiiuren; but certain il is that
We had set high hopes uron this liftIs
on". The highest of all was that sbe
would bind his beautiful wife closer 70
ann; but the baby had died and waS
ui'ier the snow. and the dead homes
were buried IN the scrap of LAWYERS
which another week wopld
see signed and attested. N'-
now bitterly cold it was, TO be sprar
NC hoe-water cans had been uselees
.C"g ago, and the windows were COT
..,,,r.. - VII ~, frozen snow: but YET he never
ieSre.'ed n .. having taken the iournev
.,oel' na.'s 'hey were English folks. Madce's
'oe anu belongings were in Fd;n-
purSh' Ial. ana Challoner had prefarrsd
'eatIns the question of settIen,ar.s
M,n sln those who would he cara
~ LOT Madge's interests retbsr
Gf rou .n less friendly hands.
oh,;oo.rse 81 course there had been no actnai
eSaIIeion eSSIa.ion to 60 north IN person: bnt
ton ties, hss Jealous Tor MS vile reputa.
The So ssr by unnecessary tongues
ara paration was purely a nsrsonsi
family sol saI;.: was oeing settled by the
appeal to t'SI.ors sha without any further